Friday, February 17, 2017

Just Like Old Times

About a year ago, Playboy magazine declared that nudity was passe. At the time, the magazine had stopped being profitable and was being used primarily as a promotional tool for all the other Playboy endeavors experienced across the globe. This rationalization of sorts was made after the publishers determined that free and unfettered access to pictures of naked women, thanks to Al Gore's Internet, was diminishing their brand.Or something like that. The powers that be suggested that the sexual revolution that it pioneered so many years ago had been fought and won. The idea, as suggested by executives of the corporation was that since, “You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free," what was the point of dirty magazines? A fair argument, but not one you might expect to hear from Hugh Hefner. Of course, the gentlemen who always insisted that they read the magazine for the articles must have been heartened by this news. In 1975, subscriptions were in the millions. By 2015, they numbered just eight hundred thousand. Less than a million subscribers. Have all these gentlemen given up print media for their lascivious needs? Their pornography?Especially when the pornography they were buying turned out not to be smut but a bunch of testosterone laden wit and wisdom and advice about how to buy a humidor. So, in order to preserve the brand, the powers that be in the bunny hutch decided to bring back nude models, as well as past favorites Playboy Party Jokes and Playboy Philosophy. The only way to the future seems to be through the past. Which is a fine business model, especially these days. Keeping track of Playmates turn-ons and turn-offs will once again be a hobby for those in need of that sort of hobby. Once again, young men can look forward to the day that they don't have to sneak peeks at Miss November on their visit to the barbershop. All that talk of "tasteful" and "arty" can begin anew as young women start taking off their clothes for a chance at being the next centerfold. If you feel your standards are being lowered once again without your say, that probably makes sense. I look forward to the Braille edition.